The field of the invention is ant (or other crawling insect) repelling containers and the invention relates more particularly to a means for supporting a conventional container with feet which may be secured to an underside of the container and/or platform, such as a tray.
Numerous attempts have been made to help prevent crawling insects from infesting the contents of a container. Perhaps the most common need for such repellents would be for a pet food dish. Such dishes are commonly kept out of doors where ants are often present. One such approach is shown in the Anderson patent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,531. This device provides a container resting on a frame, which has support legs. Each of the support legs has a moat cup. A fluid is placed in the moat cup and provides a barrier to the passage of crawling insects. The filling of the moat cups would be a tedious step and in the event the frame is knocked over, the cups would become empty and require refilling.
Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,626 to Haake, Sr. This device is an insect barrier. It utilizes a spongy member disposed under a protective cover or under a peripheral ring surrounding a dish. This device requires a specially made dish to support a center post or the peripheral ring.
The Byer patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,749 shows a dish supported off a floor by a plurality of pillars. Each pillar has a down-sloping hemispherical shaped collar, which is said to prevent the passage of ants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,506 to Sanders utilizes an annular moat containing a sticky substance for trapping insects.
The Walker patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,952 shows an animal feeder, which utilizes a moat with a liquid or a cartridge or pad containing an insect repellent. Once again, a specially formed dish is required.
The Frank patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,428 shows a pet dish with an insect barrier. The barrier is a recess near the bottom of the dish and includes a surrounding strip containing an insecticide. Once again, a specially formed dish is required.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a crawling insect repelling system which uses a plurality of feet which may be adhered to the underside of an existing dish and/or platform, such as a tray, which feet include a barrier to prevent the passage of crawling insects.
The present invention is for an ant repellent stand for affixing to and supporting a container holding an ant attracting substance, such as dog or cat food. The stand can also be used under a platform to support any insect-attracting substance. While ants are the most common crawling insect pests, the term as used herein is intended to include all crawling insects, which night infest the contents of a container. The ant repellent stand has an inverted cup with a base having an upwardly facing attachment surface. The cup has a downwardly depending peripheral side wall extending downwardly from the base and forming a cavity. The upper surface of the cavity is the underside of the base and the side walls of the cavity are the inner surface of the peripheral side walls. A support post is affixed to the base and extends downwardly past the lower edge of the downwardly depending peripheral side walls. An ant repellent ring is supported, within the cavity above the lower edge of the peripheral side wall. Alternatively, cotton or other soft, absorbent material may be pressed into the cavity and a repellant substance may be added to the material. Three or more stands may be affixed to the underside of a dish, plate, or other container holding a substance attractive to crawling insects. Alternatively, a platform may be supported which, in turn, would support a dish, plate, or other container.
An additional feature is that the device is made so that animals or children are restricted by the narrowness of the opening to prevent them from reaching the chemical.
The present invention is also for the process for preventing ants from invading the contents of a container. The process includes the steps of applying an adhesive on an upper surface of a base of a foot assembly having downwardly depending peripheral side walls, creating a cavity between an undersurface of the base and an inner surface of the downwardly depending peripheral side walls, and providing a support post extending downwardly through the cavity. The base is then pressed against the underside of the container. The pressing step is repeated at least three times to provide at least three feet held to the underside of the container. An ant repellent ring is snapped into the cavity around the support post, thereby preventing crawling insects from reaching the contents of the container.